HF Habs: The official 2023-2024 tank thread

[The Gr8 Dane]

I get the feeling, I do, but tanking doesn't guarantee the kind of players we hope for. Many variables in play; lottery, scouts' preferences, other teams like theBJ's and Sharks that you didn't see coming, etc.

I think we are tanking, but it didn't yield what was hoped for. I agree with the overperformance of the Habs the last two seasons, but that's beyond control. You still "have" to ice a team to play an 82 game season... shit is bound to happen.

We'll need luck. A lot of it. Wash, Pitts, TBay, TO, Oilers, NJ, Chicago, Col all lucked out. Buff, Ana, Mtl, Fla, Det, Ott all tried to tank but didn't get the luck needed many times. Just too bad for us really. We'll need UFA's and miracle trades for this team to happen this cycle. Our last shot is this season for a tanking ticket.

Im just gonna be pulling my hair if Caufield and Suzuki are our two best forwards down the line. Can't win like that

 

[Gustave]

Im just gonna be pulling my hair if Caufield and Suzuki are our two best forwards down the line. Can't win like that

We'll be right there with you. The O isn't enough to win as it stands today on the active roster + what's in the pipeline, barring miracle progression.

 

[DAChampion]

They're essentially worthless on the trade market.

Interesting paradox given that the goalies are playing well enough to lift the Habs' from a lottery position.

 

[ReHabs]

Interesting paradox given that the goalies are playing well enough to lift the Habs' from a lottery position.

Consistency is a critical quality in goaltenders... whether you want to win or lose, I suppose!

 

[WeThreeKings]

Are we really hand-wringing about the state of the tank?

We have the least amount of regulation wins in the entire f***ing league.

We are picking top 10 without a doubt and there's players like Monahan who are going to be traded and subtracted from the roster throughout the year.

There's also more than enough great offensive talent in the draft.

1. Celebrini
2. Eiserman
3. Demidov
4. Catton
5. Lindstrom
6. Helenius
7. Brandsegg-Nygard
8. Ritchie

That's 8 talented forwards in the class, with:

1. Dickinson
2. Levshunov
3. Silayev
4. Parekh
5. Jiricek
6. Mews

that will definitely be picked up there as well to drop forwards down. the Habs would have to literally go on a blinding miracle run to miss out at this point.

Many Habs boards suicides occurred over Benson and he went 13th.

 

[WinterLion]

Are we really hand-wringing about the state of the tank?

We have the least amount of regulation wins in the entire f***ing league.

We are picking top 10 without a doubt and there's players like Monahan who are going to be traded and subtracted from the roster throughout the year.

There's also more than enough great offensive talent in the draft.

1. Celebrini
2. Eiserman
3. Demidov
4. Catton
5. Lindstrom
6. Helenius
7. Brandsegg-Nygard
8. Ritchie

That's 8 talented forwards in the class, with:

1. Dickinson
2. Levshunov
3. Silayev
4. Parekh
5. Jiricek
6. Mews

that will definitely be picked up there as well to drop forwards down. the Habs would have to literally go on a blinding miracle run to miss out at this point.

Many Habs boards suicides occurred over Benson and he went 13th.

Yeah I'm very sure we will get a great pick... I'm more curious about what Hughes can get in trades this year... I'm hoping for another 1st obviously because that's always fun...

 

[GrandBison]

Yeah I'm very sure we will get a great pick... I'm more curious about what Hughes can get in trades this year... I'm hoping for another 1st obviously because that's always fun...

If anything, he should try to get some 25 or 26 picks, so he'll still have assets to trade when/if we are competing sooner than later.

Price contact is totally tradable after the bonus is paid ins summer 2025. This could get us some cap space.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Yeah I'm very sure we will get a great pick... I'm more curious about what Hughes can get in trades this year... I'm hoping for another 1st obviously because that's always fun...

Monahan just gotta stay healthy.

 

[Riggins]

We weren't even close to finishing bottom 4 last year, there's no way the goalie performance prevented us from getting there. Moneypuck had Montembault at 12 goals saved above expected last year and worth 2 wins above replacement. Take that for whatever it's worth. Allen was in the minus. That narrative needs to die, unless you think we should have brought Andre Racicot out of retirement and played him last year. I'm all for trading Monty now though, riding an Allen and Primeau tandem is sure to be mediocre at the very best.

We will be bolstering the forward group, this team is years away and has multiple more top 10/15 picks ahead of it. One top 10 in 2024, possibly two top 10/15 in 2025, likely even beyond that into 2026. We wanted a rebuild, this is going to take a while.

 

[Gravity]

We weren't even close to finishing bottom 4 last year, there's no way the goalie performance prevented us from getting there. Moneypuck had Montembault at 12 goals saved above expected last year and worth 2 wins above replacement. Take that for whatever it's worth. Allen was in the minus. That narrative needs to die, unless you think we should have brought Andre Racicot out of retirement and played him last year. I'm all for trading Monty now though, riding an Allen and Primeau tandem is sure to be mediocre at the very best.

We will be bolstering the forward group, this team is years away and has multiple more top 10/15 picks ahead of it. One top 10 in 2024, possibly two top 10/15 in 2025, likely even beyond that into 2026. We wanted a rebuild, this is going to take a while.

We were though. Take Monty's two wins and then timely goals by plugs like Belzile and you've got Will Smith/shot at Bedard.

 

[Habs]

this might be the worst Habs team I have ever seen in my life. worse than last year and we still will probably only draft 6th because there are so many others.

 

[Riggins]

We were though. Take Monty's two wins and then timely goals by plugs like Belzile and you've got Will Smith/shot at Bedard.

Well you can do the exact same for Arizona. Vejmelka stole them some games and I'm sure they had multiple plugs scoring goals at bad times. Be glad you're not them and using the #6 and #12 picks on Simashev and But.

 

[Gravity]

Well you can do the exact same for Arizona. Vejmelka stole them some games and I'm sure they had multiple plugs scoring goals at bad times. Be glad you're not them and using the #6 and #12 picks on Simashev and But.

Arizona's is essentially like Montreal out west in terms of how the rebuild is going.

 

[Simarino]

I look at the roster and prospect pool and unless their is some major surprise or disappointment, the picture is kind of clear on what we need to add the next 2 years. One trade or UFA signing of a first line player ala Nylander and draft one of the top 3-5 forwards in this draft and we can feel confortable about this team going forward.

 

[SlafySZN]

Well you can do the exact same for Arizona. Vejmelka stole them some games and I'm sure they had multiple plugs scoring goals at bad times. Be glad you're not them and using the #6 and #12 picks on Simashev and But.

But is doing very well and is gonna be a real good player.

 

[Gustave]

I look at the roster and prospect pool and unless their is some major surprise or disappointment, the picture is kind of clear on what we need to add the next 2 years. One trade or UFA signing of a first line player ala Nylander and draft one of the top 3-5 forwards in this draft and we can feel confortable about this team going forward.

I would agree here. Fingers crossed though, it's not like it's an easy get. But I'm here for it.

But is doing very well and is gonna be a real good player.

I can NEVER get used to his name being the first word of a sentence

I had to re-read the post a couple of times to make sense of it, force of habit obviously.

 

[Sorinth]

Are we really hand-wringing about the state of the tank?

We have the least amount of regulation wins in the entire f***ing league.

We are picking top 10 without a doubt and there's players like Monahan who are going to be traded and subtracted from the roster throughout the year.

There's also more than enough great offensive talent in the draft.

1. Celebrini
2. Eiserman
3. Demidov
4. Catton
5. Lindstrom
6. Helenius
7. Brandsegg-Nygard
8. Ritchie

That's 8 talented forwards in the class, with:

1. Dickinson
2. Levshunov
3. Silayev
4. Parekh
5. Jiricek
6. Mews

that will definitely be picked up there as well to drop forwards down. the Habs would have to literally go on a blinding miracle run to miss out at this point.

Many Habs boards suicides occurred over Benson and he went 13th.

Yeah there will for sure be some potentially great players available when we pick whatever number it ends up being. It's all about picking the right one and not screwing up their development which is why more important then the wins/losses is how our development team is doing with the prospects we already have. If they are doing a good job then that bodes well for whoever we end up picking.

 

[Hacketts]

Are we really hand-wringing about the state of the tank?

We have the least amount of regulation wins in the entire f***ing league.

We are picking top 10 without a doubt and there's players like Monahan who are going to be traded and subtracted from the roster throughout the year.

There's also more than enough great offensive talent in the draft.

1. Celebrini
2. Eiserman
3. Demidov
4. Catton
5. Lindstrom
6. Helenius
7. Brandsegg-Nygard
8. Ritchie

That's 8 talented forwards in the class, with:

1. Dickinson
2. Levshunov
3. Silayev
4. Parekh
5. Jiricek
6. Mews

that will definitely be picked up there as well to drop forwards down. the Habs would have to literally go on a blinding miracle run to miss out at this point.

Many Habs boards suicides occurred over Benson and he went 13th.

oui.

la tank es muy bien cette saison.

 

[Simarino]

Yeah there will for sure be some potentially great players available when we pick whatever number it ends up being. It's all about picking the right one and not screwing up their development which is why more important then the wins/losses is how our development team is doing with the prospects we already have. If they are doing a good job then that bodes well for whoever we end up picking.

Yeah for the first time in like forever, they seems to handle young players the right away with the big club. Even if im far from the biggest fan of Houle, kids in Laval also progress just fine, Farrell and Kidney improved big time after a rough start, Struble is impressive since joining the big club.

 

[Sorinth]

Im just gonna be pulling my hair if Caufield and Suzuki are our two best forwards down the line. Can't win like that

If guys like Dach, Slafkovsky, 2024 1st round pick can join the Caufield/Suzuki tier then offence shouldn't be a problem. We just saw LA who leads the league in goals per game, and they don't have any superstar 100 point type players. There's more then one way to have a strong offence.

 

[WeThreeKings]

If guys like Dach, Slafkovsky, 2024 1st round pick can join the Caufield/Suzuki tier then offence shouldn't be a problem. We just saw LA who leads the league in goals per game, and they don't have any superstar 100 point type players. There's more then one way to have a strong offence.

"Why can't we tank right like Ottawa, Buffalo, New Jersey, Toronto and Edmonton!?!?"

*checks standings*

Yet the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins. Blueprints put in place by our Presidemt of Hockey Ops.

 

[nhlfan9191]

"Why can't we tank right like Ottawa, Buffalo, New Jersey, Toronto and Edmonton!?!?"

*checks standings*

Yet the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins. Blueprints put in place by our Presidemt of Hockey Ops.

This is the reason I’m still calm with these guys despite them making me scratch head a lot. It’s clear what way they’re angling this rebuild and it’s not the traditional tank. Our low sitting in the standings isn’t due to purposefully sucking every year, it’s due to us transitioning from the Price/Weber era where we relied on very few players to get any results. It’s pretty hard to keep things even remotely afloat when the few players you had retire or are useless now. Had Bergevin left an adequate amount of useful vets, this whole rebuild would look completely different.

 

[salbutera]

Im just gonna be pulling my hair if Caufield and Suzuki are our two best forwards down the line. Can't win like that

Habs have had 3 top-5 picks over last 6-drafts… (1OA, 3OA, 5OA)

 

[DAChampion]

Habs have had 3 top-5 picks over last 6-drafts… (1OA, 3OA, 5OA)

One got squandered for Dvorak.

 

[ReHabs]

One got squandered for Dvorak.

Kotkaniemi got squandered to feed Marc Bergevin’s ego

In hindsight, if the Habs knew Weber and Price were at the precipice of retirement and that Danault was on his way out, they should’ve been extra willing to make it work with Kotkaniemi and hand him another opportunity. Very strange to give up on a 3OA when he’s still so young. Dumb and strange.